Carissia gestured, holy fire pouring down from above onto her target. It clung to their skin, a stark white glow that illuminated the night. They screamed and dropped to the ground, rolling around to try and extinguish the flames, without success. Their writhing weakened as they flailed, their regeneration unable to keep up with the fierce heat, their skin starting to blister, then melt away, their movements stopping. Thick black ooze started to puddle around them, their body melting away from both the flickering heat, as well as the fading of their enchantments. It had stained some of their bones ashen, the white and black mingling together in an eerie fashion.

She approached, extending a hand and conjuring up more divine fire, making it rain down on them until all movement had stopped. The ground around the body was blackened and melted, the soil melted into a thin glaze, cracking as it began to cool. Amongst the bones gleamed spike-shards of metal, twisted and gnarled, a few stuck into the bones.

Wind wrapped around her, lifting her off the floor, her dress wrapping around her legs. It would have been better if she had been able to get her armour! But this would have to do – were there any more of the creatures? She pointed at a statue and incanted a prayer, the stone shape starting to glow with a sharp, white light, illuminating the rest of the park.

Something moved, a low, lean shape, another burst of sacred flame flashing into existence above it. A hound, feral and shaggy, dashed away, just barely managing to avoid a divine incineration.

With the immediate threat gone, Carissia began to drift upwards, moving faster and gathering speed, as she started to see more and more of Sainted Hirata. Despite the late hour, the place was busy and well-lit, with the entertainment and pleasure districts casting bright lights onto high, white walls. But there were other fires, less controlled and contained, warning bells clanging.

As she flew, she twisted her fingers through a spell, invoking the power of dark Salassha, patron of the seas. There was an ornamental pond, and she gestured at it, the water rising up into a large sphere, flying alongside her. She was starting to draw attention, people pointing and staring as she flew towards the nearest fire. It was a temple, a grand assemblage of pillars and domes, all capped with bronze and gold, brightly-coloured statues staring back at her. The fire was inside, thick smoke billowing out of the highest windows.

She gestured at the huge, circular stained-glass window, the elegant pattern shattering into brilliantly-tinted shards. Smoke immediately started to billow out, but it was easy for her to fly inside, the water moving with her.

Inside, the fire was spreading fiercely, starting to consume wooden altars and statues, spreading along coils of bright red rope. She stopped, glancing around – priests and acolytes were rushing about, desperately trying to extinguish the flames or to save sacred artefacts, the place in chaos. Amidst the flames, she could see several bodies, spread about at random.

Carissia took a deep breath and focused, feeling the essence of the water. This would be a lot easier if someone else could take care of this! But of course, there wasn’t anyone else, just her. She exhaled, and the water streamed out, breaking into multiple streams. She looped them through the air, splashing them through the fires. The smallest ones were quick to fade out, hissing away into ashen puddles.

The larger fires were more problematic though, the water hissing away into steam as it got close, helping to stop it spreading but not enough to extinguish it fully.

Some of the priests had stopped to gawp at her, staring up with shock on their faces, and she yelled at them. ‘Keep moving! Get that fire out and help the wounded!’ Why did no-one else ever take charge? But at least they obeyed, moving their efforts towards the largest fires, as the building started to creak, stonework cracking as the internal supports began to weaken. Statuary fell from above, forcing her to weave around to avoid being struck. She flew further inside the huge chamber, glad that the space at least was big and open enough to make flying around it easy, heading for the sacristy.

Warding spells spluttered into life, the physical damage to the building weakening them, before they acknowledged her and blinked away anyway. The air became cooler, protective spells helping to keep the fire at bay. Had the guards been asleep? She waved her hand, knocking a gap through delicately filigreed stonework, the space shrinking down to just a high hallway. A guardian statue had been destroyed, the stone smashed into pieces, the edges glowing with soft blue energy, still trying to heal itself. A stone sword was buried in the floor, almost up to the hilt, the fine marble cracked and crazed around it.

Carissia lowered herself, until she was hovering just above the floor, wary in case a trap had been left, or of a warding that didn’t acknowledge her right to be here. What had been stored here? She advanced, conjuring up a sphere of white fire in one hand, ready to hurl it, as she approached the inner sanctum. The bronze-and-gold gate had been torn off it’s hinges, the walls covered with still-melting ice from protective spells. Not enough to stop the intruders, it seemed!

There was a grunt of pain from inside, followed by a howl of agony, and Carissia accelerated, throwing the sphere of fire ahead of her into the darkness of the inner sanctum. The ground sloped downwards, white light reflected off marble, niches in the walls filled with holy treasures – most simply mundane, but a few were rather more potent. As she flew forward, the sphere impacted with a wall with a burst of light, and she caught flickers of movement, furious combat, the shine of a blade, figures moving.

She focused, making an ancient wooden box shed clear white light, trying to see what was happening. The place stank of blood, black ooze splashed over the floor and smeared over holy artefacts, a monstrously-oversized arm ending with savage talons along the wall, severed from whoever it had belonged to. Five of the creatures were fighting, against two people – one wearing light armour, their sword a constantly-moving reflective bar, the other wearing the garb of a maid-servant. Although very much dressed for appearance rather than work, with long legs beneath a short and fluffy skirt!

The sword lunged forward, stabbing into a chest before igniting with holy fire, the target screaming in pain before fading back, the others advancing.

‘Die, you ugly dark-spawned bastards! About time some damn support got here.’ Master Yeros managed to block a strike, but wasn’t fast enough to block enough, the impact knocking him backwards.

In the close confines, it would be dangerous to use any truly destructive spells, so Carissia had to content herself with conjuring up a slashing bar of spiritual energy, which slashed at one of the creatures. It whined in pain, spinning around to face her, bestial, almost feral as it dropped it’s head and charged.

‘My apologies, Master Yeros. This is not the only place to suffer an attack. Although it is fortunate that you happened to be here!’

‘Well, don’t your blessings until we’re alive. I smelled smoke – I don’t know how long until the place goes.’

Carissia wove backwards, making her conjured blade slash at the creature while throwing more enchanted flame at it, slowing it’s charge. Although it was healing from the slash-wounds already!

‘That I think I have delayed. But I am surprised to find you here.’

‘You know me, always in the wrong place at the right time!’

His… maid, or whoever she was, hissed at one of the creatures, her frilly clothing entirely at odds with the grim combat, before she ducked out of the way of an attack, her eyes mostly-shut as though in pain. Yeros grunted in pain himself as one of them attacked, slipping past his guard and hitting him hard enough to slam him into the wall. Before they could follow up, the maid had stepped in the way herself, a knife in hand.

‘Aimodia, watch out!’

One of the creatures grabbed her head and wrenched, the bones cracking and shattering as her neck was broken. She dropped to the floor, body savagely limp, as Yeros surged forward, blade flashing and skewering one of the attackers through the chest. Despite his age, he was still skilled and powerful, blade puncturing their rib-cage, before holy energy rippled along the blade, exploding into them. The black ichor hissed away into steam as he withdrew the blade and neatly flicked it along their throat, and they sank to the ground.

The one attacking Carissia didn’t stop, despite the sacred energy buffeting at it’s body, steadily melting skin away to nothing. It lunged at her, a hand grabbing hold of her, razor-sharp claws biting through her clothing, her skin breaking. Only a minor wound, and there were more important things to worry about – she stared it down, looking into maddened red eyes before reaching out with her own hand and grabbing their head, speaking a single holy word.

The thing screamed in pain, skin blistering and melting, revealing the bone beneath, the skull warped and misshapen. Even that didn’t stop it though, the red eyes staring at her, the grip on her tightening painfully, nails rending her flesh. She could feel a chill coming from the wound, an unexpected weakness flowing through her body, the thing somehow leeching away her strength. This close, she couldn’t even fly away, caught in close. Yeros was in trouble as well – dealing attacks, but unable to protect himself against all of his attackers. They were wounded, but not slowing – just how tough were they!?

Carissia kicked at the one holding her, wishing that she had worn enchanted clothing that could better protect her. Or at least carried her mace! It ignored her attack, other hand spearing forward. Cruelly sharp nails broke her flesh as it grabbed her, rending the skin, blood oozing out, the cold chill spreading through her body faster.

She tightened her own grip on the creature’s skull, the bone disconcertingly warm, the flesh scoured off. The eyes blazed red, blood-bright and sharp, as she conjured up another blast of divine fury. The bone started to crack, and she attacked again, trying to will it to give up before she did. It’s grip started to loosen, and she leaned forward, trying to stare it down.

The grip relented, and it dropped to the floor, head now a smoking ruin, the skull almost completely obliterated.

She looked over it, to see the maid clung onto another one of the creatures, teeth buried into the thing’s neck, other hand gouging at it’s throat. Yeros was now having more success fighting off the remnants, their attention divided, running one through.

‘Let this place be cleansed!’ Carissia twisted her fingers through a prayer, bright sunlight sparking into existence before shooting out as a ray, slamming into one. Yeros winced in the blazing light, but it started to scour flesh from bone, the creature screaming in pain. Before it could recover, Yeros sliced it open along the belly, flesh turning to ash.

The one the maid was clung to was staggering around, screaming and babbling before she stabbed her knife into the neck, thrusting with brutal swiftness. She jumped off, landing on all fours, her body moving with a strange power, hissing at Carissia. Yeros clicked his fingers and moved towards her, dispatching the last of the attackers with a swift series of strikes, cutting through an arm before spearing the throat.

The maid hissed again, still hunched over, before bounding towards Yeros, latching herself onto him and wrapping her arms around him, kissing him hard on the neck. He winced in pain, embracing her with one arm, the other holding his sword up.

‘They stole a few items, but I think I managed to stop the worst of it. But I don’t know what else may be occurring.’ The woman was pressed tightly against him, her kiss hard enough to draw blood. Carissia rolled her eyes – having a lover on staff was certainly convenient, but this was scarcely the time or place! And she was most definitely not attired for combat, no matter how well she filled out her outfit. She must have managed to twist her head to avoid having her neck broken – so she had some skills at least. Perhaps she was helping to train the squires?

He winced, managing to turn away from her slightly, breaking the kiss.

‘How did you know to come here?’ Carissia obliterated one of the corpses, the thing turning into a pile of grease and ash. ‘Did you feel a stirring of fate?’

‘Uh, yes, something of that nature. It is a night of ill omens and dark portents. Much that would not transpire under the light happens in the hidden places of the world.’

The maid made a strange, snuffling noise, that sounded almost like a giggle. She must still be dazed or wounded – she was certainly pressed close to Master Yeros, obviously needing his support.

‘We should see where else has been attacked. They seemed prepared, and this is far from the only sanctum here. Aimodia, this does mean you might have to let go. Although I would appreciate it if you were to go and hunt in the undercity. Although you may wish to be careful of how you dispose of them.’

She turned her head and spat, rough and harsh. ‘Yes, that seems wise.’ She turned to look at Carissia, eyes suddenly sharp and appraising. ‘You would be Stathis’ sister then? I had thought you to be taller, from how she described you. But you are rather… better dressed.’

‘Ah, you met her when she passed through? Yes, I heard there was some altercation with vampires, and one of the holy orders, but it seems it was fully resolved.’ She passed a hand over her clothing, invoking a blessing to cleanse and mend the fine fabric. ‘Now, Master Yeros, shall we see what other troubles there are?’

The maid spoke, still looking at Carissia, her lips and cheeks flushed with red. ‘Whatever stalks the night is not of this place. I am familiar with the undercity and the crypts, and nothing has been awoken.’

‘She has been helping me lay a few of the ancient ghosts to rest. It is helpful having an assistant when dealing with such things.’

That made the choice of outfit even more questionable, but this was scarcely the time to pry into what was likely a very personal matter. Especially given the age difference – he was likely old enough to be her grand-father, if not great-grand-father!

Wings blossomed from his back, not as bright as Stathis’, but the draught sent warmer gusts of air around the room, helping to dispel the rank scent of the corpses.

‘Aimodia, go and check the sealed places under the city.’

Carissia twisted in the air, still supported by her flight spell, as Master Yeros jumped, wings flaring with light. The woman hissed and covered her eyes, looking dazed, as Yeros flew upwards.

‘Priestess Carissia, if you would shoot upwards? The sanctum is reinforced from the outside, but it seems best if we were to move swiftly. Aimodia, if you could remove yourself, I wouldn’t want you hurt by anything falling down. And try to avoid any trouble with the priests on the way out!’

She rolled her eyes as Carissia started to fly upwards, trying to see ahead of herself – moonlight shone down, through small shards of stained glass, tinting everything into dull flecks of colour. She called upon the gods of earth and stone, binding their power and feeling the bones of the building respond, the material peeling into strips. Glass shattered and broke, Carissia turning her head, not wanting to get any in her eyes.

Yeros shot past her, his wings allowing him greater speed, his passage illuminating the walls before he was up and into the night sky, Carissia following him, emerging into the night sky.

She looked over the sacred city – to her east, the pleasure district seemed unchanged, but she could hear, beneath the thrum and bustle of the city, the sounds and clamour of other panics.

‘Time to go and deal with some problems.’ Master Yeros sounded resigned, but flexed his shoulders, already flying away, Carissia moving to keep up.

‘When the fire comes, someone needs to deal with it. That’s what my Mother says.’

‘Well, she has the truth of it. It’s a thankless job, but someone has to do it. Now, to business!’ He dropped down, blade flashing from his sheathe, attacking a target in the street. He sliced them in a single, smooth motion, their head flying from their shoulders. Carissia glimpsed another one of them, and hurled a lance of divine energy at them, skewering through them and bringing them to the ground. How many of the things were there? This was going to be a long night!